Simon David Kinberg (born August 2, 1973) is a British-born American screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his work on the X-Men film franchise, and has also written such films as Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Sherlock Holmes. He has served as a producer on others including Cinderella and The Martian, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. His production company Kinberg Genre has a first-look deal with 20th Century Fox. Kinberg has taken a large role in the X-Men film universe acting as one of the consistent members of the franchise's creative team, serving as producer and screenwriter for multiple installments. In June of 2017, it was announced that Kinberg will make his directorial debut with X-Men: Dark Phoenix, from his own screenplay. The film will be released November 2, 2018.